Company redirects out of service phone numbers to similar businesses.
When a domain name expires it is often snapped up by someone with a similar business to the previous owner in an effort to get more business. Or the domain ends up parked with ads for similar businesses.
It looks like AT&T is taking a page out of the same playbook.
I called a number today for an insurance company I’ve used previously. They recently changed phone numbers and the number I dialed is no longer working. Rather than just a message to that effect, I heard this message:
“AT&T can help you find a similar business in the same area since the number you called is not in service.”
It then gave the names of three competing businesses to the one I called and offered to connect me to them at no charge.
I’ve never heard of this before, but it seems like a questionable practice. It may be that the insurance company used AT&T previously and then canceled the service. However it may have also have been a reseller of AT&T services (as was the case here).
Since AT&T is sort of the registry in this analogy, doesn’t it seem a bit like VeriSign’s short-lived site finder service?
John says
2 years ago, I had 15 calls per day by people looking for a particular lawn mower repair service to my landline. I tracked the calls coming from 6 months left in the yellow pages from a business no longer in service. I wound up only connecting my fax to the line when I needed it. Apparently I picked up the phone number “on the drop” (accidental) and you could call the yellow page ad the “unexpired link with traffic” lol…
DR.DOMAIN says
I can totally see phone companies setting up a “vanity numbers” market.They should.What if you’re a law firm that wants a number that spells “DIVORCE”…or a real estate company that wants a number that spells out “ESTATES”?
Someone who actually has the number could be in line for a fat payday.
Zak says
@ DRDOMAIN
Where did you get you DR license in a cracker jack box?
Services as such have been around for decades.
DR.DOMAIN says
@ZAK:
I think what I was trying to get at was somehow facilitating a sale between those that want a number…with those who already have that number.Does that exist?